Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 20 June 1916: Blue butterflies enjoyed the sunshine, lizards lay basking, almost invisible upon the sand, and predatory tiger beetles quartered the slopes like sporting dogs

Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 30 March 1916: Cock birds appear to come in advance, as if to spy out the land or test the weather. It is not early for this the first of our true summer birds

Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 12 February 1916: Out on the common the furze is in bloom, and a couple of finches are flitting about the prickly tops. They, too, will soon bring new life here